Schools re-open today in northern Pakistan after one-year
Pakistan Times National News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Following resolution of syllabus issue, the schools of Gilgit and adjacent areas which remained closed for the last one year would re-open today Wednesday.

This was decided by Federal Minister for Education Lt Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf while presiding over a meeting of Northern Area Syllabus Issue Committee here Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by Minister for KANA Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, federal secretaries of education and KANA, four provincial education departments representatives, chief secretary Northern Areas.

The committee unanimously agreed to the proposal of federal education minister to withdraw the textbooks of Islamiyat and Urdu of Punjab Textbook Board containing some controversial contents which were not acceptable to either sect and replaced by the books of NWFP Textbook Board and the National Book Foundation which were acceptable to the sects.

The committee was constituted under the chairmanship of federal education minister on the special directives of the prime minister to amicably resolve the issue so that dwellers of the area could live a peaceful life and the students can resume their schooling.

Javed Ashraf also assured the committee that in the coming review of national curriculum, all controversial contents would be removed from Islamiyat and Urdu textbooks. In consultation with the renowned religious scholars of all schools of thoughts and a controversy free textbooks and syllabi would be in positioned soon.

He stressed upon the religious scholars to shun their petty differences, which caused agony to the common people. He further urged the members of Northern Areas Legislative Council to preach peace and harmony to their people so that national cohesion and solidarity could be felt in spirit.●